1 Ezra 5:46-7:15
46 When the seventh month came and each of the children of Israel was settled in his own place, they gathered together with one accord in the open area of the first gate toward the east. 47 Then Jeshua the son of Jozadak and his brother-priests and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel with his brothers took charge. They prepared the altar of the God of Israel 48 to offer whole burnt offerings on it according to what was said in the book of Moses, the man of God.
49 Some of the other people from the land gathered with them in hostility, and all the people of the land were stronger than they. Yet they set up the altar in its place and offered sacrifices and whole burnt offerings to the Lord at the appointed times, morning and evening. 50 They also kept the Feast of Tabernacles as commanded in the law, and they offered sacrifices every day as was fitting. 51 After this they offered the daily sacrifices and the sacrifices of the Sabbaths, the new moons, and all the sacred feasts. 52 As many as made a vow to God began to offer sacrifices to Him from the new moon of the seventh month, but the temple of God was not built as yet. 53 So they gave silver to the stonecutters and the woodworkers, and food, drink, and conveyances to the Sidonians and Tyrians, to bring cedar trees from Lebanon, then float them on rafts to the harbor at Joppa, according to the ordinance written to them from King Cyrus of the Persians.
54 Then in the second year and the second month after they came to the temple of God in Jerusalem, Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, Jeshua the son of Jozadak and their brothers, and the Levitical priests and all who came to Jerusalem from the captivity began the work. 55 They laid the foundation of God’s temple on the new moon of the second month in the second year after they arrived in Judea and Jerusalem. 56 They established the Levites who were twenty years and older over the Lord’s works. So Jeshua and his sons and brothers, and Kadmiel his brother, and the sons of Jeshua Emadabun, and the sons of Joda son of Iliadun with his sons and brothers, and all the Levites moved forward the work on God’s house with one accord.
57 The builders built the temple of the Lord. Then the priests, donned in their vestments and with musical instruments and trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with their cymbals, praised and blessed the Lord according to the instructions of King David of Israel. 58 They sang hymns, thanking the Lord “for His goodness and His glory to all Israel unto the ages.” 59 All the people cried out with a loud voice, singing to the Lord because of the raising of the Lord’s house.
Work on the Temple Is Halted
60 But some of the priests and Levites, old men who were leaders of their paternal houses, had seen the former temple. So they came to the building of this one with loud crying and bitter wailing. 61 But many others came with trumpets and a loud shout of joy. 62 However, the crowd could not hear the trumpets because of the people who wept. Therefore the multitude blew their trumpets so loud, the sound could be heard far away.
63 When the enemies of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin heard it, they came to see what the noise of the trumpets was about. 64 They discovered that those from the captivity were rebuilding the temple for the Lord God of Israel. 65 So they approached Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the leaders of the paternal houses and said to them, “We will build together with you. 66 For we likewise obey your Lord and have offered sacrifices to Him from the days of King Esarhaddon of the Assyrians who brought us here.” 67 But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the leaders of the paternal houses of Israel answered them, “It is not for you and us to build the house of the Lord our God. 68 For we alone will build it for the Lord of Israel, according to what Cyrus the king of the Persians commanded us.” 69 But the peoples of the land moved strongly against those in Judea. They besieged them and hindered them from continuing to build. 70 By plots and by false claims and riots, they blocked the completion of the building during the lifetime of King Cyrus. 71 They were halted from construction for two years until the reign of Darius.
The Temple Is Completed
1 Now in the second year of the reign of Darius, the prophets to the Jews, Haggai and Zechariah the son of Iddo, who were in Judea and Jerusalem, prophesied to them in the name of the Lord God of Israel. 2 Then Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak resumed building the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. The prophets of the Lord were with them and helped them. 3 During this same time, Sisinnes, governor of Syria and Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes and his associates arrived and said, 4 “By whose instruction are you building this house, the roof, and completing all these other things? Who are the builders accomplishing all this?” 5 But the elders of the Jews had the grace of visitation from the Lord, for His grace was over the captives. 6 So they were not stopped from construction until word could be gotten to Darius about them and a response received. 7 Here is a copy of the letter which Sisinnes, governor of Syria and Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes and their officers, the governors in Syria and Phoenicia, wrote and sent to Darius:
8 “To King Darius: Greetings. Let it be known fully to our lord the king that we arrived in the country of Judea and went into the city of Jerusalem. We discovered the elders of the Jews from the captivity building a great new house for the Lord in the city. It is made of polished stones with very costly wood laid on the walls. 9 Those works are being done with zeal, and the work is flourishing at their hands. It is being finished with all grandeur and carefulness.
10 “We inquired of their elders, saying, ‘By whose direction are you building this house and setting the foundations for this building?’ 11 Then we asked them who their leaders were, for the sake of making them known to you in writing. And we asked them for a list of names. 12 They replied, ‘We are the servants of the Lord who created heaven and earth. 13 This house was built many years before by a king of Israel. He was great and powerful, and it was completed. 14 But when our fathers sinned against the Lord of Israel, who is in heaven, and provoked Him, He handed them over to the authority of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon and of the Chaldeans. 15 He both razed the house and set it on fire; then he led the people as captives to Babylon.
16 ‘But in the first year King Cyrus reigned over the country of Babylon, he wrote to rebuild this house. 17 Then King Cyrus brought out the sacred vessels of gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar had carried from this house in Jerusalem and put in his own temple, and he handed them over to Zerubbabel and Sheshbazzar the governor. 18 He then commanded him to carry all these vessels and put them back in the temple in Jerusalem, and to rebuild the Lord’s temple in this place. 19 Then this same Sheshbazzar, after he arrived here, set the foundations of the Lord’s house in Jerusalem. From that time until now, the rebuilding has continued, but it is not yet completed.’
20 “Now therefore, O king, if you so determine, let a search be conducted in the royal archives of our lord the king in Babylon. 21 If it is discovered that the rebuilding of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was done with the permission of King Cyrus and approved by our lord the king, let him direct us concerning this matter.”
22 Then King Darius ordered a search to be conducted in the royal archives that were delivered to Babylon. So a scroll was found in the palace in Ecbatana in the country of Media wherein these words were recorded: 23 “In the first year of the reign of King Cyrus, he commanded that the Lord’s house in Jerusalem, where they sacrifice with perpetual fire, be rebuilt. 24 It was to be sixty cubits high and sixty cubits wide, with three layers of polished stones and one layer of new native wood. The expenses were to be paid from King Cyrus’s treasury. 25 The sacred vessels of the Lord’s house, those of both gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar had carried from the house in Jerusalem and brought to Babylon, these were to be returned to the house in Jerusalem and replaced where they were previously.”
26 Darius therefore commanded Sisinnes the governor of Syria and Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes and their officers, and those chosen as leaders in Syria and Phoenicia, to stay away from the place, and to allow Zerubbabel the servant of the Lord and governor of Judea, and the elders of the Jews to erect the Lord’s house on its former site.
27 “I also command,” he continued, “that the building be completed and that you be fully intent on helping the captives who returned to Judea until the completion of the Lord’s house. 28 Furthermore, care must be taken to give a contribution from the regular tribute of Coelesyria and Phoenicia to these men, that is, to Zerubbabel, for bulls, rams, and lambs for sacrifices to the Lord. 29 Likewise, a regular contribution must be given every year, without complaining, of wheat, salt, wine, and oil for daily consumption, as the priests in Jerusalem may dictate, 30 so they may offer drink offerings to God Most High on behalf of the king and his children, and pray concerning their lives.”
31 Moreover he commanded, “As many as transgress or void anything written herein, wood should be taken from his own house and he will be hanged upon it. His possessions are then to be given over to the king.
32 “Therefore, may the Lord whose name is invoked there destroy any king and nation that shall reach forth their hands to prevent or ruin the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. 33 I, King Darius, declare as herein decreed that this be accomplished diligently.”
1 Then Sisinnes, governor of Coelesyria and Phoenicia, and Sathrabuzanes and his associates followed the command of King Darius, 2 and took diligent care of the holy works, and worked together with the elders of the Jews and the governors of the temple. 3 The sacred works were free from difficulty while the prophets Haggai and Zechariah prophesied. 4 So they completed these by the command of the Lord God of Israel; 5 and with the consent of Cyrus, Darius, and Artaxerxes, the Persian kings, the house was completed the twenty-third day of the month of Adar during the sixth year of King Darius.
6 Then the children of Israel, and the priests, the Levites, and the rest of those from the captivity who joined them did according to what is recorded in the book of Moses. 7 For at the dedication of the Lord’s temple, they offered one hundred bulls, two hundred rams, four hundred lambs, 8 and twelve young goats as a sin offering for all Israel, with reference to the number of the twelve chiefs of Israel’s tribes. 9 The priests, clothed in their vestments according to their own people, attended to the works of the Lord God of Israel in accordance with the book of Moses, and the doorkeepers stood at each gate.
10 The children of Israel who came from the captivity kept Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month, following the priests and the Levites being purified together. 11 But although all the Levites were purified together, not all the children of the captivity were purified. 12 Nevertheless they sacrificed Passover for all the children of the captivity, for their brother priests, and for themselves. 13 The children of Israel who came from the captivity and all who sought the Lord and separated themselves from the abominations of the people of the land ate the paschal lamb. 14 They also observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days and rejoiced before the Lord. 15 For He changed the counsel of the king of the Assyrians regarding them to make their hands strong in the works of the Lord God of Israel.
Psalm 134:13–21
13 O Lord, Your name abides forever,
O Lord, Your memorial unto generation and generation.
14 For the Lord will judge His people,
And He shall comfort His servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The works of men’s hands;
16 They have a mouth, but they shall not speak;
They have eyes, but they shall not see;
17 They have ears, but they shall not hear;
They have noses, but they shall not smell;
They have hands, but they shall not feel;
They have feet, but they shall not walk;
They have no sound in their throat;
For neither is there breath in their mouth.
18 May those who made them become like them,
And all who trust in them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord;
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord;
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord;
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord.
21 Blessed be the Lord out of Zion,
He who dwells in Jerusalem.
Proverbs 29:1–6
1 A reproving man is better than an obstinate man,
For when the latter is suddenly consumed, there shall be no remedy.
2 When the righteous are praised, the people shall rejoice,
But when the ungodly rule, men lament.
3 When a man loves wisdom, his father rejoices,
But he who keeps prostitutes shall destroy his wealth.
4 A righteous king will establish a country,
But a lawless man razes it to the ground.
5 He who prepares a net for the presence of his own friend
Casts it around his own feet.
6 It is a great snare to a man when he sins,
But a righteous man shall be in joy and gladness.
John 21
1 After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself:
2 Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.
3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We are going with you also.” They went out and immediately got into the boat, and that night they caught nothing.
4 But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
5 Then Jesus said to them, “Children, have you any food?” They answered Him, “No.”
6 And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast, and now they were not able to draw it in because of the multitude of fish.
7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment (for he had removed it), and plunged into the sea.
8 But the other disciples came in the little boat (for they were not far from land, but about two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fish.
9 Then, as soon as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid on it, and bread.
10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have just caught.”
11 Simon Peter went up and dragged the net to land, full of large fish, one hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not broken.
12 Jesus said to them, “Come and eat breakfast.” Yet none of the disciples dared ask Him, “Who are You?”—knowing that it was the Lord.
13 Jesus then came and took the bread and gave it to them, and likewise the fish.
14 This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead.
Jesus Restores Peter
15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
18 “Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.”
19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
The Beloved Disciple and His Book
20 Then Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at the supper, and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?”
21 Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, “But Lord, what about this man?”
22 Jesus said to him, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me.”
23 Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, “If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?”
24 This is the disciple who testifies of these things, and wrote these things; and we know that his testimony is true.
25 And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.